We are all becoming increasingly aware of the development of the ‘sharing economy’, a socio-economic phenomenon in which individuals provide services for others; whether it is through the sharing of private vehicles, sharing one’s home, supper clubs or providing personal laundry, cleaning and dog walking services. However, this concept of service has a long and ancient history. The ancient Egyptians believed that committed and loyal service continued into the afterlife. Although death played a very important role in Egyptian society, it was not considered a terminal state but rather just another stage in the cycle of life, leading to another type of existence in the afterlife. As in life, so in death, assistance was needed to undertake manual labour and thus developed the tradition of burying funerary figurines called shabti to support the deceased. The Manuscripts & Archives Research Library has a number of these which were recently re-housed.
The afterlife was considered to be an extension of earthly existence; a person’s body was preserved through mummification and acted as a vessel for the spiritual facets of an individual. It was believed in the afterlife that the same needs and comforts as those in life were required such as sustenance and nourishment. In early periods, foodstuffs were placed in the grave. This practice developed into using magic and ritual to replenish food and provide sustenance. During the 1st Dynasty, the King was accompanied in death by his attendants, so that he was not deprived of their service in the afterlife. This practice evolved into physical representations of servants, who could act as substitutes for real ones. These were manifested in graves as small statutes of servants engaged in tasks such as baking bread and brewing beer.
In the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BC) these servant figures were superseded by funerary figurines which we call shabti (also shawabti and ushebti). At the height of their popularity, kings, as well as their subjects, required shabti for their tombs. Their importance in funerary rituals is reflected in their continued use for over two thousand years.
The significance of shabti is complex and through time their roles changed. Initially, they represented a personal substitute for their master and a reserve body that could receive nourishment in the afterlife. However, this role developed so that shabti were considered to take their owner’s place in carrying out manual labour in the afterlife. Egyptian civilisation was based around agriculture and even in the afterlife one could not escape from the statutory labour that was employed to keep the agricultural system functioning. During the New Kingdom (1570-1070 BC) and later, shabti were equipped for their work with hoes, picks, seed or grain baskets, carrying-yokes, water pots and brick moulds. These were carved or painted onto the figurines. Eventually, shabti came to be regarded as slaves of their owner, with a strict hierarchy imposed.
Most of the shabti in circulation today are from the Third Intermediate (1069-525 BC) and Late Periods (664-332 BC), when they were mass-produced in large numbers by craftsmen running workshops attached to the temples.
The shabti figurines in the Library display the traditional iconography. The figurines have tripartite wigs, their arms are folded across their chest and they are usually mummiform in shape, an idealised representation of the deceased. Agricultural implements are either modelled or painted onto their bodies. They range in size from a small 5 cm example, crudely manufactured in faience (a glazed ceramic), to a carefully carved wooden example which is over 25 cm tall. Shabtis were made from a variety of materials including; wood, stone, wax, metal, glass, faience, pottery and ivory.
The functioning of shabtis was dependant on a magical incantation, the ‘Shabti spell’, from chapter six of the Book of the Dead: ‘O Shabti, allotted to me, if I be summoned or if I be detailed to do any work which has be be done in the realm of the dead … “here I am” you shall say’. This is inscribed onto the figurine with a pointed tool prior to it being fired. However, many smaller shabtis bear only the name and title of the owner, often preceded by the introductory formula sehedj Wsir ‘glorifying the Osiris’. The god, Osiris is a central figure associated with death and resurrection.
In the Middle Kingdom only one or two shabtis were provided for each burial and were a mark of high status. They were often provided with miniature coffins and were considered to serve as an image of the deceased. In the New Kingdom, the iconography of agricultural tools developed, and the shabti’s role as a servant was developed. At the beginning of the 19th dynasty (1293-1185 BC) the number of shabtis provided for each burial increased; this coincided with a reduction in the size of the figures and a simplification of manufacturing processes leading to mass production in moulds. Shabtis came to be considered as slaves to do their owners bidding and a canonical organisation was established. A full complement of figurines comprised of 365 workers, one for each day of the year, which were organised in thirty-six gangs of ten, each supervised by an overseer, who was fashioned holding a whip. They were stored heaped inside shrine-shaped boxes or pottery jars. Sometimes they stood in ranks around the tomb chamber.
The shabti figurines in the Manuscripts & Archives department have been re-housed in custom-made archival quality boxes. Each figurine has a carefully padded individual compartment within each box, which are designed to minimise direct handling by researchers, while still allowing visual inspection.
Several thousand years have passed since they were first interred with their owners, and one can only speculate what tasks these Dublin-based shabtis had been ordered to carry out by their original owner. Perhaps, so far from their Egyptian home, these servants continue to carry out their master’s bidding to seek sustenance and comfort in the afterlife.
Andrew Megaw, Senior Conservator of Books and Manuscripts
References
Janes, G. (2012) The Shabti Collections 5 A Selection from The Manchester Museum. Lymm Cheshire : Olicar House Publications.
Stewart, H.M. (1995) Egyptian Shabtis. Princes Risborough : Shire Publications Ltd.
Taylor, J. (2001) Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. London : British Museum Press.